Lucid Motors will not be anticipated to be among the many first movers to undertake Tesla’s North American Charging Commonplace (NACS).
The Wall Road Journal’s Stephen Wilmot had a possibility earlier this month to talk with Lucid Motors CEO Peter Rawlinson and ask him about the entire CCS1 to NACS transition.
As we will see within the video (see from about 7:00 right here or a small half in a tweet beneath), Lucid’s boss doesn’t look like too enthusiastic about NACS. He identified that the CCS1 and NACS are simply plastic plugs with some copper. The way more necessary factor, in his opinion, will not be the plug, however the high-voltage (a degree of 1,000 volts), which should be utilized to scale back the present (assuming the identical energy) and losses, and thus improve effectivity. That is elementary, in accordance with Peter Rawlinson.
The Lucid Air mannequin is understood for its ultra-high effectivity, lengthy vary (over 500 miles, in accordance with the EPA), and ultra-fast charging functionality, which is past Plaid. One of many key components to cost shortly (at as much as over 300 kilowatts) is the high-voltage battery system of as much as round 900 V.
The Mixed Charging System (CCS1) charging commonplace totally helps such a voltage degree at the moment, and there’s a rising variety of CCS1 quick chargers prepared for as much as 350 kW of energy at as much as 800-1,000 volts. In different phrases, CCS1 does the job for Lucid.
Within the case of the NACS, so far as we all know, Tesla vehicles and Tesla Superchargers (V3) are at the moment utilizing a voltage degree of as much as 500 V (DC output). This considerably limits the flexibility to quick cost vehicles with the next voltage battery – just like the Lucid Air, Hyundai Ioniq 5, or Porsche Taycan – so long as there isn’t a particular on-board resolution for that.
We noticed this concern in a real-world take a look at (50 kW charging of a Lucid Air) when Tesla opened a few of its chargers to non-Tesla EVs. It was very nicely introduced by our colleague Kyle Conner (Out of Spec) beneath:
With out growing the voltage, Lucid doesn’t have a lot curiosity in having access to the Tesla Supercharging community at the moment (by an adapter or natively), as a result of the charging energy can be too low and non-competitive, as in comparison with CCS1 chargers at Electrify America or different networks with 800+ V chargers.
The same voltage-related concern was raised additionally by Hyundai Motor, though we consider that it has a decrease influence as a result of a decrease voltage on the E-GMP vehicles (600-800 V relying on the battery pack) and a decrease peak charging energy (220+ kW versus 300+ kW on Lucid). However the nature of the problem is strictly the identical. Energy output can be compromised (by the best way, the identical considerations the 400-500 V CCS1 chargers as nicely).
EV producers, which already adopted higher-voltage battery methods, need a higher-voltage quick charging infrastructure. Finally, increasingly EVs are anticipated to be geared up with such battery methods, as a result of that is merely a extra environment friendly resolution.
Peter Rawlinson says that 1,000 V (on the infrastructure aspect) is the longer term and we agree. For prime-end, and a lot of the mainstream electrical vehicles, we are going to most likely see 600-1,000 V battery methods. There may be a phase with 400 V battery methods as nicely – entry-level/smaller batteries.
Tesla Hints At 1,000 V – It is Coming
Tesla, when asserting the opening of its proprietary charging connector in November 2022, stated that there’s a 1,000 V configuration of the NACS connector, in comparison with the at the moment used 500 V model. Furthermore, will probably be able to supplying as much as one megawatt of energy.
In different phrases, as quickly as the corporate (and different OEMs) will begin producing 1,000-volt chargers, plugs, cables, and inlets (car aspect), the problem will steadily fade. The CCS1 chargers initially have been additionally solely low-voltage 50-100 kW models.
One other factor is that Ford, Basic Motors and Rivian, which joined the NACS coalition, wouldn’t determine on the change with out securing a transparent path of supporting higher-voltage battery methods, which they’re utilizing already or intend to make use of sooner or later.
This makes us utterly calm that NACS will help 1,000 V and most charging pace. Possibly in a single yr, perhaps in two, most certainly will probably be mixed with the 350 kW V4 charging stalls (longer cable is required to succeed in charging inlets in numerous EVs).
As we perceive, Lucid’s place is extra associated to its present curiosity – they won’t profit a lot from the Tesla Supercharging community at the moment and they won’t be prepared to help Tesla (competitor), so long as doable, to finally be a part of as soon as all the things is prepared (if your entire market will actually transfer in the direction of NACS). That is a completely affordable place.
The final component is that Lucid is eager about bidirectional charging – Car-to-Grid (V2G) purposes, and this additionally should be totally outlined by Tesla, so different OEMs may contemplate adoption. Possibly CharIN will assist to standardize NACS to keep away from misunderstandings.
Yet one more factor identified by Peter Rawlinson is that one of the crucial necessary issues within the EV business within the US is to help in a single day/dwelling charging (AC Stage 2) as a result of that is the dominant manner of recharging EVs. The grid requires strengthening. We might additionally add the problem of avenue charging for many who haven’t got a devoted parking spot.